


different page

by ivelostmyspectacles



Category: Compilation of Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VII Remake (Video Game 2020)
Genre: Aromantic Character, Asexual Character, Domestic Fluff, Friendship, Gen, Getting to Know Each Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-25
Updated: 2020-05-25
Packaged: 2021-03-03 02:20:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,424
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24367201
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ivelostmyspectacles/pseuds/ivelostmyspectacles
Summary: “I’m notwithanyone, actually,” he admitted, resting his elbows on the table again. “Never really got the point.”“Never?”“Nah. I guess it’s sort of a point of contention? I mean, don’t get me wrong, I’ve got people I love. Everyone here? I’d die for them, but that’s not…” He made a vague noise, half under his breath.
Relationships: Biggs & Cloud Strife
Comments: 12
Kudos: 63





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_“Real joy to work with, though.”_ _  
_ _“Real joy to look at, too.”_ _  
_ _“Here we go.”_ _  
_ _“Looks are what people notice first.”_ _  
_ _“Guess I’m not on the same page as ‘people.’”_ _  
_ _“I’d say you’re not even reading the same book.”_ _  
_ _“Enough. We’re done here.”_  
_“Or even the same–”_ _  
“Give it a rest.”_

He couldn’t work the new guy out. So he was the strong and silent type, unfazed by everything that passed in front of him. But that was the SOLDIER– sorry, _ex-_ SOLDIER, Cloud kept saying when he deemed it worth the effort of actually speaking– in him, Biggs thought. There was so much more going on there that he couldn’t figure out. Big bullet point one being Cloud and Tifa as a whole.

He didn’t get that, either. Tifa, she was calculating and more and more cautious as the days went on. And he’d liked her since day one, really. The team could do with some more levelheadedness. But then, a couple weeks ago, she’d suggested bringing a _friend_ into the fray, someone she’d known since childhood and would trust with her life. It had taken a little convincing, especially on Barret’s part, once he’d learned about Cloud’s… past, but, well. Tifa was kind of the girl that was social but seemed to have hardly any lasting connections. Not that Biggs was judging. He didn’t have anyone outside of Avalanche either. It was just the state of things.

But Tifa had brought up a _friend,_ and she had said _‘he,’_ and Jessie had been all over that like The Daily Buzz on Shinra’s shiny ass. Tifa had said ‘it wasn’t like that,’ and although Biggs didn’t exactly get whatever ‘it’ or ‘that’ was, her tone had been just… _off_ enough that the three of them had shared a glance behind her turned back, and then Wedge had gone on to change the subject talking about the cats again. His fail-safe. 

Cloud had said about as much at the reactor, clammed up like Tifa had back at Seventh Heaven, but Biggs didn’t know if that meant much since the guy didn’t talk much to begin with.

But it was the way Tifa looked at Cloud: that was the thing that got him. She looked at him like she didn’t know him at all, but was desperately trying to. Watching him play darts across the bar like she was trying so hard to recognize him. And Cloud, for his part, seemed awkward around her, too– less so than around the rest of them, though, and there was more familiarity in his eyes than in hers. Which was kind of weird, since _Tifa_ had wanted him in in the first place.

Biggs didn’t know. He couldn’t figure it out. And he absolutely didn’t intend to ask the question Jessie had been rattling on about in his ear every chance she got, but he did, one night, when Tifa left them for the night at the bar and it was just Biggs and the new guy. But he absolutely did. “So, you have a past with her?”

Cloud looked up from the doorway, eyebrows furrowing, like it was some bizarre question. “What?”

“With Tifa.” He gestured to the door. “Jessie was–” Cloud scowled, and Biggs huffed a laugh as the blond turned back to collecting the darts. He was never going to beat Wedge’s score. “Yeah, I _know,_ gossiping, but hey! I’ve had her nattering on in my ear since you got here. Can’t blame a guy for asking.”

“Yeah, I can,” Cloud muttered. He raised the dart, aiming for the board. “She asked once.”

“You didn’t answer.” He’d gotten the full extent of just _how_ much Cloud hadn’t answered, that night, when he’d seen Jessie home with her injured ankle.

“Tifa’s… she’s a friend,” Cloud said, reluctant, like it was a _bad_ thing to have friends. That he might combust for saying it. Kind of the same way Tifa got when Jessie asked her about Cloud, too.

“Jessie said you probably dumped her.”

The throw went wide, dart sinking securely into the wood of the wall instead of the bullseye. Biggs blinked, leaning over in his chair to look closer, and let out a low whistle. “Damn. You should get points for how _bad_ that was.”

“You’re distracting me,” Cloud grumped, going to pull the dart from the wall. “And it wasn’t like that. We were just…” He shrugged. “We grew up together. That’s all.”

“Then how come she looks so sad when you’re not looking at her?”

Cloud stopped, hand aloft again. He frowned, barely there, barely noticeable over the usual non expressive face he wore. Then he shook his head, slightly.

“You don’t notice, do you?”

Cloud didn’t respond, which was… a response in itself.

“I mean… she sorta does. Now and again. Soooo Jessie thought it was bad blood after a breakup, but she called you in, anyway, because you could get the job done.” Biggs paused, and then shrugged himself. “Kinda what some of the others think too.”

_“Who?”_

He held up his hands. “Don’t shoot the messenger. You’re the new guy. This happens.”

“I’m not the _new guy,”_ Cloud fired back. “This is a–”

“One time gig, yeah yeah. We’ve heard you. Doesn’t stop us from being curious either way.”

“I could ask the same thing about you and Jessie,” Cloud said, and Biggs blinked again.

“What?”

Cloud turned back to darts, again. “You two are close. As close as me and Tifa.”

“I–” Okay, it wouldn’t be the first time someone had made the assumption and it wouldn’t be the last, Biggs knew, but it still made him _laugh,_ every time someone brought it up. A little embarrassed, but mostly bewildered. “No, there’s… _nothing_ going on there. I mean, I worry about her _constantly,_ but we’re not…” He waved a hand.

“Wedge?” Cloud prompted.

_“What?”_

Cloud shrugged.

_“No.”_ Now the huff was more of a huff than it was actual laughter; not that he was _offended_ over that accusation, either, you could do a _lot_ worse than Wedge, the guy was endless optimism and cooked a damn good meal and gave the best hugs, but… did he just give off a vibe that he was arm-in-arm with the entire crew? “Before you ask, I’m not involved with Barret, either,” he complained, but couldn’t help but grin at the miniscule smile Cloud cracked at that. “I’m not _with_ anyone, actually,” he admitted, resting his elbows on the table again. “Never really got the point.”

“Never?”

“Nah. I guess it’s sort of a point of contention? I mean, don’t get me wrong, I’ve got people I love. Everyone here? I’d die for them, but that’s not…” He made a vague noise, half under his breath. He still didn’t get the nuances of… dating, he supposed? And he doubted he would at this point, but it wouldn’t strike him as a loss. “They’re friends. A few good friends. What else do you need?”

“Wouldn’t know.”

“Uh huh,” Biggs interrupted, “you just said Tifa was a friend. You can’t have it both ways, merc. And a friend of Tifa is a friend of ours, so hey, sorry, you’re stuck.”

Cloud made a face, throwing another dart. It landed solidly in the triple twenty; Biggs raised his eyebrows, and leaned forward. _That_ was the trick. This guy was learning. Shit, he took it back, he was going to wipe them off the leaderboard in no time.

“Not interested,” Cloud intoned, throwing another. It landed at triple one.

Biggs grinned, leaning back in his chair again. Not this game, anyway. They reigned for another round, at least. “Whatever you say,” he said, kindly, and started to clean up the table.

Maybe there was still a lot he didn’t know, and things he would never, but friends? People you cared for, even if you were supposed to… he didn’t know, find someone, settle down, get married. Even outside of that? You couldn’t avoid caring for people in some way. You couldn’t go through your life disconnected in that way. And Biggs wasn’t, so he wasn’t missing out on anything. So he’d watch Cloud play darts, and he knew Tifa would be back in the morning for work, Barret would melt at anything Marlene said or did, Wedge would be out feeding the neighborhood felines, and Jessie would be gossiping and tinkering and sparring with him in the training grounds. Familiar and comfortable, a routine.

Biggs wasn’t missing anything. He had everything he could ever need right here.

**Author's Note:**

> listen I know that's not what the quote was about but my ace brain latched onto it while playing the demo and I haven't been able to get it out of my head since. give me ace/aro af Biggs who's just big ????????? whenever the aspect of dating or kissing or sex comes into play. why would he do that? why would he want that? he's already happy! give me Biggs who panics anytime anyone makes a move on him (when he recognizes someone's making a move on him) and is just, oh, wait, I'm not, that's not- 
> 
> 👏👏👏👏👏


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